Ensilage-harvester.



A. G. &- A. RUNNING; ENSILAGE HARVESTEB. APPLICATION FILED JULYI4. I913.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I- Mime,

rama 6507222 A. G. & A. RUNNING. ENSILAGE HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JULYI4. 1913.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. G. & A. RUNNING. ENSILAGE HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED 1uLY14. 1913.

llllll l dicate like parts ANDBEAN e. Rename AND ADOLPH Rename, or BOYD, MINNESOTA.

nnsmaen-nanvns'rnn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, ANDREAN Gr. Ron- NING and Aoonrir Boxxme, citizens of the United States, residing at Boyd, in the county of Lac qui Parle and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilage-Harvesters;

and we do hereby declare the following. to be a full, clear, and exact description of the.

invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has for its object to provide a highly eflicicnt combination harvester havlng various interchangeably. usable attachments adapting the machine to Idovarious different kinds of work. For instance, with one attachment, it may be used to harvest corn and cut the same intoen silage, and deposit the same in the box of a wagon driven by the side of the machine. By the use of another attachment, the machmemay be used to cut alfalfa, clover, or hay, and cut the same into ensilage; By the use of this same last noted attachment, but

with the ensilage cutter gremoved, the .ma-

chine may be used asa header to harvest grain. .When' this same attachment is used with a threshing attachment substituted for the ensilage cutter, themachine may be used as a combined harvester. and thresher.

In the accompnying drawings whichillustrate the invc ion, like characters in-.

Referring to tht awings: Figure 1 is a side elevation oftlie improved machinef. with the corn harvester attachmenta-pplled 1s a plan-view of the mathereto; Fig '2 chine, some parts beingbroken away";'Fig. 3 is a rear elevation ofithe machine, with some parts broken away; Fig. at is .a'detail in vertical section taken approximately on the line .1." .u on Fig.2, some parts being broken away; Fig. 5 is a plan'vi'ew of the machine with the so-called alfalfa attach ment connected to the machine instead of the corn cutting attachment, some parts of the machine being. broken away and some parts being removed; Fig, Sis a fragmentary view. taken in section approximately on the line m w on Fig.-'j5 Fig. 7 is a side elevation showingtl threshing attachment, some parts therof,- being, broken away. 1

The general constructionof theinaehine Specification of Letters Patent.

roughout the several I Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

, A plication filed Ju1y'14, 1913. Serial No. 778,872.

tratedin Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive", will first be.

, a-yoke il that is rigidly secured to the adjacentside of the main frame. The left hand iwheel is loosely journaled on a short axle' 8..1'Th1s axle 8, at its ends, has small is shown as applied to the front truck, so

that the horses or draft animals may be hitched thereto. The left hand front wheel 17 is approximately alined with the left hand wheel 2, but the right hand front wheel is alined approximately with the central portion of the main frame, or in otherwords, travels midway between the two rear wheels. The anle 16 of the front truck is pivotally attached at 20 to'the front end of a reach beam 21. This reach beam 21 is connected to the front of. the main frame with freedom for vertical piv :ota'l adjustments, and, as shown, this is acgc'omplished by providing the said reach beam with rearwardly projecting metallic :st'rzips22 and brace rods 23, the rear ends'of which are pivotally connected to the said main frame, respectively, at 24, and 25.

Links 26 connect the intermediate portion of the so--called reach beam 21, to the forwardly projecting arm 27 of a latch lever 28, which latter is pivoted to a latch segment 29, rigidly secured tov a forwardly projecting intermediate beam 1 of the main frame, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The

latch lever 28 is provided with the usual latch piece 30, that is engageable with the notches oftne/latch segment 29, to secure the lever-in any set adjustment. By oscillatory movements of the lever 28, the front portion o'fthe main frame, and the rear portion-bf the; reach 21 may be raised and lowered. with a sort of a toggle action.

numeral 31 indicates a receiving hopper which is preferably constructed from spur gears 9 that work vertically in guide brackets'lO secured onthe frame 1, and prothe. lower the main frame. This receiving hopper 31 has a rearwardly: inclined front portion and i is open at its rear end, and, of course, also at its top. It is held in a position at the right of the reach 21, and very much to the left of the right hand wheel 2, and projects far in front of the main frame. The main portion of the bottom of the hopper 31, is. formed by an endless belt conveyer 32 that extends from the said hopper nearly to the rearmost portion of the machine and is arranged to runover suitable guide rollers 33, 34 and 35, suitably mounted on the main frame. The endless conveyer 32 delivers to a pair of cooperating feed rollers 36 shown as mounted in laterally spaced bearing plates 37 that are rigidly secured on the main frame 1. The upper roller 36 is yieldingly pressed downward byadjustable springs 38, shown only in Fig. 1. An ex- .plosive engine, which is indicated as an entirety by the numeral 39, is supported on the bearing plates 37, and its shaft is provided at one end with a pulley 40, and at its other end, with a sprocket 41. a

The feed rollers 36 deliver tofan ensilage cutter, which is mounted on a supplemental frame 42 bolted, or otherwise rigidly, but detachahly secured to the main frame. This ensilage cutter, as shown, comprises a fixed shearing blade -13 and a rotary cutter +1, the shaft of which latter projects and is provided at one end with a sprocket {l6 and at its other end with a pulley'l'fand fly Wheel 48. A belt 49 runs over the engine pulley 40, and over the pulley 47 to transmit motion from the engine shaft to the rotary cutter 44. The feed rollers 36 and the roller 35,

which drives the conveyer belt 32, are all driven from the shaft of the rotary cutter ll, and directly from the spro ket 46 through a sprocket. and chain drive 50.

The en'silage from the cutter l-l falls upon a short endless conveying belt 51 that runs. over suitable guide rollers 52 mounted on:

'Dhe belt 51 delivers to portion of an inclined elevator decl'c f 53 that is rigidly but detachably secured to the main frame 1 by bolts, or otherwise, and extends to a point at one side of the machine high enough to deliver into the box of a wagon driven at the side of the machine. An endless elevator belt 54 runs the main-"frame 1.

over and under the deck and up over up- .eo. the said deck structure.' The shaft of the lower roller has a sprocket 56. The left hand roller 52, over which the belt secured to the rear end of a shaft 65 perand lower guide rollers mounted on 51 runs, 57 which smouuted in. suitable bearings on the main frame 1 and provided gat its front end with a beveled gear The rear end of the shaft 57 projects and is provided with a sprocket 59, over which. and the sprocket 56, runs a short sprocket chain (30 (see particularly Fig. 3). The beveled gear 58 meshes with a beveled gear ()1 on a transverse counter shaft (32, journalcd in suitable bear ings on the front portion of the main frame 1. I At its left hand end. the shaft (32 is provided with a sprocket (ill. sprocket chain (H- runs over the said sprocket (i3 and over the sprocket +1 on the engine crank shaft.

The gear (51 of the shaft 32 meshes with the beveled gear 65 on the rear cnd'of a pitman driving crank shaft 66 mounted in suitable bearings on the forwardly projecting central portion of the main frame 1. and said shaft is provided at its front end with a beveled pinion (l7 and a crank (33. The rear crank of shaft (56 (see Figs. 1 and 2), is connected to a pitman (il that drives a sickle 70, that is adapted for use in cutting corn. This sickle 70 is of the usual well known construction and is mounted in suitable hearings on the front right hand portion of the main frame 1.

Rigidly, but detachahly secured by bolts. or otherwise, to the main frame 1, immediately at the right of the hopper 31. is a pair of laterally spaced approximately triangular so-called gathering frames 71.

edges diverge so as to guide the standing corn stalks into the channel left between said gathering frames. The top plate of the outer gathering'frame 71 has a curved guide arm' 72, that overlies the rear portion of the hopper 31, and serves to direct the corn stalks after they have been cut by the sickle 7 0 into the said hopper 31. The above noted movements of the corn stalks into the hopper after they have been cut, is further insured by endless conveyors in the form of sprocket chains provided with projecting teeth., As shown. there are four of these sprocket chains, all obliquely arranged and secured on oblique shafts 81 provided at their lower ends with beveled gears 82 that mesh with beveled gears 83 and the trans verse counter shaft (32.

The numeral 81 indicates a stripper ap- The top boards or plates of these gathering frames .71 ilnCllIle forwardly and their front inner plied to the inner gathering frame 71 and I adapted to release. the teeth 74 of the inner top convey-er chain 73 from the corn stalks which have been delivered into the hopper 31.

L. The numeral 84*indicates a drivers seat,

shown as suitably applied to the left hand side of themain frame 1.

'l he operation of the machine with the corn harvesting attachment applied. as above described. is as follows: .\ll.1of the running parts ,of the machine are driven from an explosive engine. while the machine is prefsickle-J0 hy the gathering frames 71 and feed'cha'ins73 and T8,. and the cut stalks are, then forced into oblique position and deposited i-n. the hopper 31 with their butt ends resting on the convever belt 32. From the belt ilig the corn stalks are delivered between the feed l'ollersfiti, and thence. are directed lto theensilage cutter J H. The cut silage. iis already noted. drops onto the horizontaltfeed belt 51.. and by the latter is delivered to the elevator belt 53, and thence. into the box of the wagon driven at the side of'the machine. \Vhcn the machine is to be used to cut alfalfa, clover, or hay for example. the hopper 31 and the gathering mints-71;, as entireties. and the parts mounted thereon. are bodily removed, and thesick le 7 0 disconnected from the crank shaft (3C).. Flthen an attachment in the form of abinder'; platform with attached sickle bar and sicl' clefjs substituted for said gathering frame 71.. and bolted, or otherwise rigidly secured to the forwardly projecting right hand portion of the main frame 1. This latter-f noted attachment. which. for convenience. is designated as an alfalfa attachment; comprises a deck frame 85. having at its front edge the usual finger bar 86 and sickle bar 87. An endless platform belt 88 runs over guide rolls 8 on the outer and inner ends} of the deck frame and is so arranged that its inner portion will deliver the cut alfalfa. clover, hay, or the like. directly onto the endless convever belt 32, so that the cut alfalfa, or the like. will be delivered to the. cutter 14. and from thence, carried by the conveyers 51 and 5;, into the box of a wagon driven at the side of the machine. hen the alfalfa attachment is applied. as just described. its sickle bar 87 connected by a pitman 90 to the crank 68 on the front endof the crank shaft (56. To drive the platform belt 88 the shaft of the inner roller 89 isprovided with a spur gear J1, that meshes with the spur gear 92, (see Fig. 5). carried by the rear end of a short shaft 93, journaled in a sutia'l'ile bearing on the deck frame 85 and having a beveled gear in nit-sh with the innermost of the two gears 8 which, as already described, are carried bv the counter shaft "32.

In Fig. 6. we have shown a part of a con nection for driving a reel. not shown, but which would preferabl be used in conncction with the alfalfa attachment. Of the parts thereof. the numeral 9t indicates a jointed shaft having at its lower end a hcveled gear 95 that is then arranged to mesh with the beveled gear 67 on the front end of the crank shaft (36. \Vhen it is to be used as a combined harvester and thrcsher. the supplemental frame 42 and cutting elements -13 and H are removed. and the threshing attachment shown in Fig. 7 is substituted therefor. This threshing attachment comprises a toothed cviinder 96. a cooperating toothed concave 97. a heater a grate 9 and certain other devices, such as usually employed in threshing mechanism. In this instance. the shaft of the cylinder at; is provided with a pullevflttt). over which. and the engine. pulley 40 runs a driving belt 101. Also. at this time. the elevator deck 53 and elevator belt or convever 5t may as well he ren'ioved. It will also be understood that the harvester described mav be used while stationary to cut silage in the one instance. or to thresh grain in the other instance. In either instance. the connections fondriving the sickle and cooperating harvesting mechanism should be thrown out of action. which mav be done in several different ways. as for instance. by disconnecting one of the sprocket. chains.

hat we claim is:

1. In a. harvester, the combination with an ensilage cutter and a stalk cutter. of means for turning the severed stalks into approximately horizontal positions and feeding the same. butt ends first, to said ensilage cutter.

Q. In a harvester. the combination with an ensilage cutter and a stalk cutter. of means for turning the severed stalks into approximately horizontal positions and feeding the same. butt ends first, to said ensilage cutter, and an engine on said harvester having connections for driving said stalk cutter and ensilage cutter.

3. In a harvester, the combination with a stalk cutter. of an ensilage cutter located at the rear of said stalk cutter. means for turning the severed stalks into approximately horizontal positions with their butt ends rearward, and means for feeding said stalks rearward, butt ends first, to said ensilage cutter.

4.. In a harvester, the combination with a stalk cutter, of an ensilage cutter located at the rear of'said stalk cutter, means for llt) turning the severed stalks into approximately horizontal positions with their butt ends rearward, means for feeding said stalks rearward, butt ends first, to said ensilage cutter, and an engine on said harvesstalk cutter and a hopper at one side thereof,

of a deflecting arm for directing the severed stalks into said hopper, butt ends rearward, an ensilage cutter on the harvester located at the rear from said hopper, a feed (lGVICQ for delivering the stalks,'butt ends rearward, from said hopper to said ensilage cutter, and an engine on said harvester having connections for driving said stalk cutter, ensilage cutter and feed device.

7. In a harvester, the combination with a stalk cutter and a hopper'at one side thereof, of adeflecting arm for directing thesevered stalks into said hopper, butt ends rearward, an ensilage cutter on the harvester located at the rear from said hopper, a

feed; device for delivering the stalks, butt ends rearward, from said hopper to said ensilage cutter,--and coiiperating toothed endless stalk carriers for directing the stalks to said stalk cutter and cooperating with said guide arm to direct the severed stalks into said hopper.

8. In a. harvester, thecombination with a stalk cutter and a hopper at one side thereof, of a deflecting arlnfor directing the severed stalks into said hopper, butt ends rearward, an ensilage cutter on the harvester located at the rear from said hopper, a feed device for delivering the stalks, butt. ends rearward, from said hopper to said ensilage cutter, cooperating toothed endless stalk carriers for directing the stalks to said stalk cutter and cooperating with said guide arm to direct the several stalks into said hopper,

. and an engine on said harvester having connections for driving said stalk cutter, en-

silage cutter, feed device and endless stalk carriers.

9. A harvester having a detachable hopper and a cooperating detachable stalk cutter and associated devices cutting the severed stalks to be delivered into said hopper.

10. In a harvester, the combination with longitudinal and lateral feeding devices and cooperating means for turnmg the severed stalks approximately horizontal, butt eno:

rearward, of a stalk cutter, and an cnsilage cutter, the latter being interposed between the said longitudinal and lateral feed devices. I

11. In a harvester, the combination with longitudinal and lateral feeding devices and cooperating means for turning the severed stalks approximately horizontal, butt ends rearward, of a stalk cutter, and an ensilage cutter, the latter being interposed between the said longitudinal and lateral feed devices, and an engine carried on said harvester and having connections for driving said stalk cutter, ensilage cutter and longitudinal and lateral feed devices.

12. In a harvester, the combination with a receiving hopper at the front of the machine, of a stalk cutter and a stalk convcjver at the side of said hopper, means cooperating with said stalk conveyors to turn the same forward into said hopper, butt ends rearward, an ensilage cutter directly at the rear of said hopper, and a conveyor belt receiving the stalks from said hopper and delivering the same butt ends rearward from said ensilage cutter.

13. In a harvester, the combination with a rearwardly inclined hopper and a conveyer belt extending rearward from the open bottom of said hopper, 01" an cnsilagc cutter receiving from said conveyor, and stalk gathering feeding and cutting devices at the side of said hopper including means for; turning the severed stalks forward into said hopper, butt ends rearward.

'14. In a harvester, the combination with ANDREAN G. RONNING. ADOLPH RONNING.

lVitnesses IiARRY D. Kimonn, F. D. Mrnciraxr.

Hill 

